"picking over"

Frances, your question is a good one and your instincts are right--you are
looking for things to pick out: small dirt clods, broken or shriveled
beans, any little thing that doesn't belong there. I've never worried
about this much with lentils or split peas; with larger dried beans you
probably need to look more closely. My mom used to spread them out on a
large tray with a rim so she could see everything...it had a sort of
ritual quality :-)
You may find some brands or stores have "dirtier" beans, lentils, etc.
than others. And the prepackaged ones aren't necessarily cleaner than the
ones in the bulk bins.
................................................................................
Victoria Modarresi Dept. of English
vmodrsi@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx University of Arizona
(520)621-1836 FAX (520)621-7397 Tucson, AZ 85721
................................................................................
------------------------------